Rondeau to MeadowWoods And An Ojibway Visit

 Saturday was a fairly long day, as I started at Rondeau Park early, then went into Elgin County.

I did quite a bit of walking under cloudy skies at Rondeau.  Nothing of note in the way of birds, but I just wanted to go for a long walk.

I first walked down Rondeau Road to Gardiner.  On a sad note, almost every American Beech has been infected with Beech leaf disease, or whatever it is.  Photos not the best, since it was a typically gloomy weekend morning.

I stopped by dog beach to take a look.  I noted quite a bit of erosion along this side of the park.  All those NE winds this spring......!

By the time I left the park, it looked like the skies were going to clear.  That was a good thing, as the main event of the day was a walk at MeadowWoods, a Thames Talbot Land Trust property along Gray Line in Elgin County.

But before the designated arrival time, I stopped at Clear Creek quarry.  There was not much flying in the way of insects.  Too early for Comet Darner, and other things are a bit late.

Azure Bluets were in good numbers, and I did see a couple of Violet Dancers.

Very few dragonflies, but a few Calico Pennants had just emerged.

Hardly any butterflies here, but this Peck's Skipper briefly posed.

I also walked the Bury Cemetery trail to kill a little more time.

I arrived at MeadowWoods just before 13:00h.

It is one of their "closed" properties, so there is no public access.  Only special tours are given from time to time.

It was farmland and pasture back in the day up until about 1980, but it has grown in naturally quite a bit.  It was purchased by Stan and Anita Caveny and enhanced over the years until it was turned over to TTLT.

There are ponds on the property which were constructed early on, and harbour lots of wildlife.  In particular, odonates.

I guarantee there is a Spatterdock Darner flying out there!

There are rare species including the Comet Darner (which will appear at the end of this month), and Spatterdock Darner.  We were lucky enough to see a couple of Spatterdock Darners, which had just arrived perhaps the day before.  Unfortunately, it is a species that rarely sits still, and I was not able to obtain a photo.  I have only seen Spatterdock at Sifton Bog, and up at Ipperwash (dunes and swales).

Some plants near the pond included Interrupted Fern.

And several Swamp Thistle, a native plant.

We took a long walk over to some constructed ponds, walking on the spot where there was once a cheese factory!

At one of the ponds, there were several Amber-winged Spreadwings, an attractive species.

Azure Bluets were there by the hundreds.  I never realized how abundant this species is!

Today I went in the "other" direction down to Ojibway near Windsor.  I only decided at the last minute, since the weather seemed perfect today.  Early Sunday morning is a nice time to drive to Windsor anyway with practically no traffic.

The annual OFO/Essex County Field Naturalists field trip was today.  I joined in last year, and found it a nice change of pace.

It warmed up nicely, and we observed quite a few birds and other things.

At the pond near the nature centre, there were three species of turtles.  Unfortunately, one was Red-eared Slider (actually I saw two).

Along the Titcombe road, we looked at several things, including butterflies.  At one point, I spotted a Zabulon Skipper!  Although more regular in this area, it was the first one I have seen at Ojibway.

There were several of the similar Hobomok Skippers.

Other species included Northern Crescent.

And, Peck's Skipper.

Fox Snakes even made an appearance. How anyone spotted this one, is a mystery, but it was way up in a tree.

Nearby. some Tree Swallows were not happy.  A Fox Snake likely had a deluxe breakfast in a nesting box!

There are lots of rare plants at Ojibway, but our brief walk did not reveal many. Ohio Spiderwort is abundant in the area.

It was an enjoyable morning!

Blues, Valves, Odes, Moccasins, Birds

 Now that the month of May is almost at an end....already (!) I have been looking more at insects.  Some days have not been all that good as we have had excessive amounts of rain.

This past Sunday, I went for a long walk at Hillman Marsh after looking at the shorebird cell.  Nothing of note in the shorebird department, but it was worth a look.

Sandhill Crane

Lots of Least Skippers were along the dyke.

Among the thousands of Eastern Forktails, some Skimming Bluets were seen.

Monday was a rainy day to start.  I wanted to head up Sarnia way to look at some things, but I had to take my time waiting out the rain.  After it stopped, and was still cloudy, I walked Dow Wetlands.  A decent bird in the form of a Sedge Wren was singing in the grasses.  It was a first-of-year bird for me, not all that common around here.  But, we do get the odd ones sticking around to nest.  Too distant for a photo though.

Nearby I found this rather large leech enjoying a puddle.

I then took a chance to go for a walk at Blackwell Trails park, an old dump site within Sarnia.  Luckily, the sun had come out by then so that I could look for the rare Silvery Blue.  All I was seeing were duskywings, likely Wild Indigo.  Perhaps Columbine as well, but they were too fresh to know.

After considerable time, I caught site of one Silvery Blue, but it kept going out of sight.  I persevered, then, right on the trail I found one nectaring on White Clover!

At least I did not have to go off trail and collect some ticks like in past years!

This is the only known site in Lambton for this species.  They are more common farther north.  The  only other Lambton record is of a couple along McCallum Line back in 2014.

With so much rain, Red Cedars are rusting!

Juniper Rust (fungus)

Tuesday was another rainy day, so I did not do much, but got some things done at home.

Wednesday I decided to give Rondeau one more go before May ended.  It was actually a calm and pleasant day as I checked out various places.

I walked along the beach off south point trail hoping for some decent gull.  It is a good time of year for Laughing or Franklin's or even a Black-headed, but no luck there.  However, there were up to seven Little Gulls.  All were first cycles except for one adult.  For some reason I never attempted to get photos!

Various mussel shells (mussels are sometimes called valves), were along the beach.  Just some plain old mussels.

Plain-pocket

Ducks included a single Bufflehead and a single Long-tailed, both of which are lingering later there.  I only got on the Long-tailed too late....

Some late warblers, but not unusual, were a singles of Tennessee, Canada, and Wilson's.  I found up to seven Blackpolls as well.

One has to ask where are the cuckoos?  Not a single one.  Also, Red Knots seemed to have fallen off the map anymore.  Another one I remotely hoped for.

After Rondeau, I decided to head over to Wardsville Woods to look for odes.  Unfortunately, clouds rolled in as I approached, and then the rain started.  I waited it out for a while, then went for a walk.  The sun never came, but I did see a few odes.

Pretty sure one was a Cobra Clubtail, then a couple of Midland Clubtails, a couple of Twelve-spotted Skimmers, Widow Skimmer, Common Whitetail, and Eastern Pondhawk.

The female  Twelve-spotted was missing part of one wing, so it was really a Ten-spotted Skimmer!

I did find one Double-striped Bluet.

A spreadwing caught my eye, which may be an Amber-winged.  It is somewhat uncommon and I have never seen one.  I did not know it at the time, so did not get all the photos needed.  Nobody on iNaturalist is brave enough to even comment on it, so that has not been helpful.

It was disappointing due to the crazy weather, but of course the sun came out as I drove home!

Today I headed to north Lambton.  I had the urge to walk the L-Lake trail and adjacent NCC trail.  There were not as many birds as I had thought there would be, but it was a decent walk.  

Up to five Acadian Flycatchers (not unusual there) and a Cerulean were singing among others.  Highlight was a singing Connecticut Warbler, remaining unseen.

It was too early in the cool day for odes, but I did see a couple Aurora Damsels.

A Chalk-fronted Corporal was at the start of the trail.

I decided to go farther north and check out the Klondyke Sports Park. Recently a Northern Mockingbird was found here, so I wanted to see it!  I could not get one anywhere else yet this year, so this one had to do. Not the prettiest one though.

They are certainly not as regular as they used to be.  Been a long time since I have seen one in Lambton.

Also here, a Grasshopper Sparrow seemed to favour the tennis court fence area.  They likely nest across the road (Clay-colored Sparrow has been here in the past as well).  Seemed odd it was hanging out in a groomed multi-use park.  Perhaps it was desperate for a mate.

Not finished for the day, I next went to Ipperwash Forested Dunes and Swales for  a walk.  With all the excessive rain this spring, I knew to wear boots!  The Cedar Trail was flooded in about seven spots, some areas quite deep.

A few Racket-tailed Emeralds were flying.  I never realized how common these are everywhere until recently.  I find them in most suitable places.  Even saw one at Peers Wetland earlier in the week!

A basking Blanding's Turtle caught my eye at one point.

Pink Moccasins (Pink Ladies Slipper) are quite common here.  I did not realize how common, but then I am not usually here at this time of year.  I saw dozens of plants.

It was a cool, but pleasant day on a light north wind.  The mosquitoes were not bothersome at all!

Speaking of north winds, they often push such things as kites to the Lake Erie shoreline.  Go figure, a Mississippi Kite was photographed at McGeachy Pond this morning!